Wanderlei Silva returns to Japan to take on Brian Stann in the main event of UFC on Fuel TV 8 Saturday night at the Saitama Super Arena. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images for MGM Resorts International)

Trust me when I tell you that I wish Wanderlei was still prime Pride Era Wanderlei, but the reality is that “The Axe Murderer” is 36-years-old, has gone 3-5 in eight UFC appearances, and is 3-7 over his last 10 overall, which date backs to his last appearance at the Saitama Super Arena.

This is an opportunity for Silva to go out to a hero’s send-off before the fans who adored him during his glory days. Considering we’ve been asking the same “Is this the end of the line for Wand?” question for the last three or four fights, there is no way to know if this will in fact be the last dance for the iconic Brazilian striker.

My gut tells me it will be. Of course, my gut has been partially responsible for my picks so far this year, so take that for what it’s worth.

2. Has Stefan Struve Finally Arrived?

No fighter in the heavyweight division has a longer winning streak than Struve, who has won four consecutive bouts heading into his showdown with Mark Hunt on Saturday night. He’s 9-3 overall in the UFC, and 25-5 for his career, with 24 stoppages, and he’s still just 25-years-old.

There was a period of time where the words “Just wait until…” were attached to the Dutch heavyweight, but we could be passed that time now. Struve has grown into his massive frame, learned to use his reach, and is at the starting to hit that “scary confident” point where a run at the top of the division isn’t too far off.

Hunt’s power is always dangerous, and the “Super Samoan” has won three straight after losing his initial UFC appearance, but if Struve really is ready to take the next step, this is the kind of fight he should roll through.

We’ll find out on Saturday night.

3. What Can We Expect From Diego Sanchez?

Simply put: no one knows.

It’s been a year since we last saw the former Ultimate Fighter winner, and it takes another 12 months to get back to his second last fight. With that kind of time off and a dip back down to lightweight, there is no real way to know what to expect from Sanchez at this point. He’s been off a while, lost his last appearance, and has always been a bit of a tough dude to figure out.

Going off his first foray to the lightweight ranks, I think Sanchez has the potential to be a top 10 competitor by the end of the year. His style plays well in the weight class, and it’s a better fit for him as far as size goes. The key will be his mental make-up.

If his mind’s right, “The Dream” could be a factor, but that’s a big if.

Lombard is rumoured to make upwards of $300,000 a fight, potentially with pay-per-view points attached on the end. He’s 1-1 inside the Octagon so far, having lost to Tim Boetsch and beaten Rousimar Palhares. With the UFC looking to cut down the roster (and payroll), could a guy like Lombard survive a loss to Yushin Okami on Saturday in Japan?

Dropping a pair of contests at the top end of the division usually isn’t the end of the world, but in the wake of the Jon Fitch release, going 0-2 against the top 10 when you’re making that kind of money is a a red flag and a potential trip to the unemployment line.

If Lombard loses it will be a test of Dana White’s conviction and commitment to getting the roster down to size. There are never any guarantees of consistency with the UFC President, but if they’re really serious about trimming the fat, Lombard is a prime candidate if he comes up short this weekend.

5. How Good is Siyar Bahadurzada?

We’re going to find out a little better when he takes on Dong Hyun Kim in Japan.

“Siyar the Great” needed only 40 seconds to leave Paulo Thiago face down, out cold in his UFC debut. He’s a monster power threat in the welterweight division, but we don’t know much about his grappling and ground game. Kim has the potential to teach us more, as he’s a strong judoka who has given other strikers trouble in the past, but Bahadurzada is a big ’70 himself.

He trains with “The Blackzilians,” a great camp that has hit a little rough patch as of late, and is the kind of uber-confident competitor who could go either way – it could be another absolute smashing or he could be on the wrong end of a beat-down himself.

We’ll get a better idea of where he sits in the deep welterweight ranks on Saturday, and you can count me among the many who are very interested in the results.

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